The Scroll of Seth
by smilesandrainbows
Summary: When Mother comes back from Egypt with the Scroll of Seth, Theodosia quickly realizes it's a fake covered with gibberish. But where is the real Scroll, the one covered with enough curses to tumble empires? It's up to Theo to find out! ;)
1. Homecoming

''Mum!'' I yell. I've spotted my mother, standing all the way across the platform at Charing Cross Station. She's been gone over three months and finally, she's here! Oh, I can't wait to hear of her travels and see the ancient treasures stowed away in her luggage. ''Henrietta!'' Father hugs Mum, just as I spot a grimy little hand reaching for Mother's pocket. I rush over, slap it away and cry,

''Will!'' he looks at me sheepishly.

''Sorry, miss.'' he stares at his filthy shoes and then he melts back into the sea of people.

''Theo, dear? Where are you?'' Mother calls from somewhere in the crowd, a tinge of worry in her voice.

''Mother?'' I crane my neck so I can look for her, but everyone is to tall for me to be able to see anything. Bother.

''Theodosia!'' Father snatches my hand and guides me over to where Mum and the trunk are waiting. ''Come along, Theo, we're going home.'' Darn it.


	2. Hieroglyphs

Finally! We're back at the museum! I can't wait to see Mother's marvelous finds!

As we arrive in Receiving, row after row of icy-footed beetles crawl down my spine.

''Theodosia, are you alright?'' asks Mother.

''Fine. Just fine!'' I reply, a little to quickly. Mother studies me for a moment, then decides I'm okay. ''Oh, you're going to love this!'' she cries as we pry open a large crate. After digging around a bit, she smiles triumphantly and pulls out a large scroll.

''The Scroll of Seth!'' she announces. I brace myself for the heavy wave of black magic, but it doesn't come. Father sees my puzzled look and asks me,

''Theo, are you okay? is something wrong?'' I want to shout, _Yes Father! Something is wrong! _But I don't. Instead I shake my head. Soon both Mother and Father are pulling artifact after artifact out of the crates. I slowly reach for the scroll. Neither of my parents notice. Silently I rush to my closet and slam the door. I gently unroll the aged papyrus. I begin to slowly translate the scroll. I blink in disbelief. It doesn't make sense. None of the hieroglyphs make sense. Some of them I've never seen before.

I race to the reading room and grab a book on hieroglyphs. I scan the first few pages. Nothing. I keep flipping the pages, but after an hour of fruitless searching, I still haven't found them.

_Egypt's Hieroglyphs _by Roger Semben.

_Egyptology Through the Ages _by Sir William Dermest.

_The Rosetta Stone: Ancient Egypt's Ancient Language _by James D'Franc.

A whole lot of nothing. This can't be. These hieroglyphs _have to_ exist. If they don't, then the scroll is a fake.

I must talk to Wigmere.


	3. A Visit to Wigmere

''Mum, Father?'' I asked tentatively.

''Yes, Theo dear?'' Mother looked up from the small Anubis statue she was examining. I could feel the magic flowing off it. That was some powerful magic right there.

''Did you have any time to read the scroll?''

''Oh no, dear! To much to do in Egypt! I didn't have any time! Well, run along now.'' she got back to here statue. I pretended to be content with her answer, but I was really as far from content as you could possibly be.

* * *

I raced to the front door, down the steps, and through the streets, not stopping until I reached the Somerset House. I pounded up the stairs.

''I need to see Wigmere.'' I gasped to an annoyed Boythorpe.

''Go on in.'' he told me, frowning. I walked passed him and knocked on Wigmere's door.

''Come in.'' he called. I entered. ''Theodosia! What's the matter?'' he asked.

''Well, sir, Mother has come back from Egypt.''

''Is that all?''

''Oh, no! Well, you see, she brought home the. . . Scroll of Seth.'' Wigmere raised his eyebrows but said nothing. I continued, ''I was a bit . . . _suspicious. . . _when I didn't feel the dark magic on it. After all, the Scroll is rumored to be heavily cursed, aside from the fact that it's a step-by-step on how to kill and other terrible stuff.'' Wigmere nods. ''So, I took it to my room when nobody was looking, and there I started to translate it. Actually, I _tried_, because after hours of research, I discovered some of the hieroglyphs don't exist.'' Migmere's eyes widened.

''Are you saying that it's a fake?'' he asks. I shrug and say,

''I think. But if it is so, where's the real one?''

''My dear,'' all of the sudden he looks years older. ''I believe it's up to you to find out. Good luck.'' I know this is his way of telling me to leave, but I have one more thing to ask him.

''Sir, could it possibly be the Serpents of Chaos? After all, this is _just_ what they'd do!'' Wigmere frowns. I don't know if it's because I haven't left or because I might be right. Maybe both.

''Quite possible, my dear. Tell Boythorpe to come in on your way out.'' I nodded hurriedly and scampered out. I quickly told Boythorpe then left. _Chaos! _I told myself. _Chaos! _How could this happen? How did the find it? What was I going to do?


	4. Thoughts

I pace back and forth in my closet. The more time passes, the more I believe that Chaos has the real Scroll. Mum and Father would be devastated if they knew their scroll is a fake, but I doubt they would understand the true nature of this fragile situation. I am not saying Britain's government is fragile, but this scroll is like the Heart. Dangerous. Murderous. It makes the Staff look like a child's play sword. Why can't the Serpents just take a break from evil? Go on vacation, for goodness's sake!

"Theo? Dear, it's time to go home!" Bother.

* * *

''Mum, Father, I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to go to bed now. Headache." I add quickly, when I see father looking at me suspiciously.

"Oh. . . okay dear!" Mum pats my hand. "Off you go, I'll have cook bring up some tea!" I say good-bye to father and Henry, then race up the stairs to my room. My coat sits on my bed in a rumpled pile. Good. Betsy hasn't moved it. I snatch it upend throw it on the floor. Under it sits a book. I'm ready to start studying.

Now, don't think I'm a liar. It wasn't _completely _a lie. I really don't feel to well, just not a headache.


	5. God Save the Queen

Well. It's been a week since mum came home. By now I'm forced to face the cold, hard, facts. The scroll is missing. It's up to me to find out where the real one is. But first I must find the Serpents of Chaos. Lucky me.

* * *

''Will!'' I cry. ''Thank goodness!''

''Wha'?'' asks Will.

''I need you to get a message to Wigmere.''

''Wha' do I need to tell Ol' Wiggy?'' he asks curiously. I try to put it simply, but it's rather hard, seeing as this is a most complex situation. Finally I give up and say,

''Just tell him they have it but I have no idea where they are. Don't worry, he'll understand.'' Will nods, then disappears. Let's hope Wigmere has an idea. A good one.

* * *

I sit in my sarcophagus, resting my chin in my hands. Where would Chaos be?

_Think. _I tell my self. _What would I do with that scroll if it was my dream to bestow chaos on the world? What would I do with such a powerful weapon? Where is the best place to start, now that they have it? _

''The government!'' I cry aloud, startling poor Isis. ''Oops.'' I whisper. _Who are some of the most important leaders in all Britain? The queen! The Prime Minister! And it just so happens that the Scroll explains how to __possess people, how to make them your puppets. God save the queen! (And the Prime Minister)_

* * *

''Wigmere!'' I gasp Boythorpe. I have been running to Somerset House far to often this week.

''Theodosia!'' says a familiar voice. I turn around to see Wigmere standing behind me. ''How surprising to see you here! I just arrived back from an important meeting! What ever is the matter?'' he asks.

''Perhaps we should. . .''

''Go to my office?'' he finishes. I nod quickly. ''Well.'' he says when we are seated. ''I believe you have come not to say good day, but to bring bad news?'' I nod again.

''I figured out what they're up to!'' I blurt. Wigmere leans forward in his chair but makes no move to say anything, so I continue.

''It's their goal to wreck the world, so who best to target first? The queen and the Prime Minister!'' I don't stop. ''They will control them, bringing the government down from the inside out!'' Wigmere sighs.

''I believe you are quite right.'' he tells me. My jaw drops.

''You- you actually believe me?'' I stammer, dumbfounded. I had thought my theory was rather crazy, but here was Lord Wigmere, an important adult, believing my out-of-the-box theory.

''Of course!'' he looks at me solemnly. ''Theodosia, you are never wrong.''


	6. The Ex-Assistant Curator

I smooth the wrinkles out of my best dress. Gently, I place a bothersome hat on my neatly-brushed hair and looked in the mirror. There. I looked perfect! There was nothing for Mother and Father to scold. I grinned smugly. My parents had been invited to a party hosted by. . . the Queen! They had decided to take me along. Can you believe my luck?! It's a perfect opportunity to see if the Queen _is _possessed! And I wouldn't mind seeing the Queen herself, either.

''Theodosia, dear! A carriage will be here in ten minutes! Hurry!'' Mum calls from downstairs.

''That's great.'' I yell.

_10 minutes later: _

The carriage bumps over ruts in the road. The thin cushion on the seat isn't helping much. I grimace as we pass over a particularly large pothole. Is the driver even trying to avoid those? As if reading my mind, Mother tells me,

''Not long now.'' Father grumbles something about having to get these London roads fixed. I smile to myself as the carriage pulls to a stop. Pulling aside the small drapes, I look out at Buckingham Palace. It's so grand and looks spectacular all lit up like it is. We climb out of the carriage and walk through the gates, up to the giant doors. We are guided to a massive ballroom the size of multiple houses. I gawk until Mother says,

''Shut your mouth, Theodosia, or you'll catch flies.'' I snap my jaw shut, right as the very queen walks up. I immediately drop into a low curtsy.

''Hello!'' she says to Mother and Father. They converse a minute, then the Queen turns to me. ''Hello, child. What is your name?'' I straighten up.

''I am Theodosia Elizabeth Throckmorton, Your Majesty.'' she smiles kindly, then goes to greet some other guests. I notice how stiffly she walks and how monotonously she greets each person. Sounds like possession to me. I can't help but frown. My parents slowly melt into the crowd, leaving me standing alone.

''Hello, Theodosia.'' says a familiar voice. I spin around and find myself face-to-face with none other that Nigel Bollingsworth, ex-First Assistant Curator. I let out a small gasp then covered my mouth with my hand. He laughed. ''Isn't our dear Queen spectacular? Have you met her yet?'' It sounded like an innocent question, just a normal conversation. But I knew it wasn't. I nod, to stunned and scared to speak. He laughs again. ''I heard the Prime Minister is to arrive any minute now.'' he tells me quietly. I bit my lip to refrain from speaking. He smiles coldly, then turns on his heel and begins walking away. Over his shoulder he tells me bitterly, ''Don't bother yourself with grown-up things, Theo. You'll only get hurt.''

**Sorry it's so short! ;)**


End file.
